The date given marks the moment when Nigeria became a republic. The country had gained independence from Britain in 1960, with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as prime minister, but at first kept Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. On this day it adopted a republican constitution, with Nnamdi Azikiwe as its first president. The state itself had been formed by the British, who merged the northern and southern protectorates into a single colony in 1914 under Frederick Lugard, joining many peoples such as the Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. Ethnic and regional rivalries soon strained the new republic, leading to military coups in 1966 and to the civil war of 1967 to 1970, when the south-eastern region tried to secede as Biafra. Nigeria is now Africa's most populous country.
Before and after
- 21 August 1963Birth of Mohammed VI of Morocco
- 28 August 1963March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
- 28 August 1963Martin Luther King delivers 'I Have a Dream'
- from 25 September 1963 to 20 February 1964Sand War
- 1 October 1963Founding of Nigeria
- 10 October 1963Death of Édith Piaf
- from 14 October 1963 to 30 November 1967Aden Emergency
- 2 November 1963Birth of Borut Pahor
- 14 November 1963Construction of Surtsey
More in Society, economy & sport
- 1945Founding of International Court of Justice
- 27 December 1945Founding of World Bank
- 14 September 1960Founding of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- 8 December 1991Founding of Commonwealth of Independent States
- 1 January 1995Founding of World Trade Organization
- 4 February 2004Founding of Facebook
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.